includem have said in their latest publication that poverty and housing are inextricably linked.
A Scottish family support charity has said poverty and housing are inextricably linked as the cost of housing continues to push young people and families into further debt and poverty.
The latest report from includem found that for families and young people who are fortunate enough to be allocated housing, the decline in available public funds means they often do not have the necessary resources available to support their new accommodation.
includem spoke with young people and families they support from across Scotland to hear about their experiences with the housing system.
For the families and young people who took part in the conversations, many of them reported a negative feeling about where they currently live.
When asked what they felt the biggest problem they faced in accessing housing were, replies included ‘availability’, ‘affordability’, ‘space’, ‘waiting lists’ and ‘damp and mould’ to name a few. Many described living in homes that were in a poor condition, unsafe and did not meet their accessibility needs.
Families also spoke about the importance of a safe and stable home for health and wellbeing with several young people in particular reporting their experiences of sofa-surfing as no accommodation was available to them.
Of even more concern to the charity was the number of care-experienced young people who reported being catapulted into independent living without the skills, knowledge, or support required to sustain this.
Martin Dorchester, includem Chief Executive said: “Includem’s new housing report highlights the desperate situation many of the families we support find themselves living in. We frequently speak about the deprivation of hope to our partners, and this report is just another example of families losing all hope and accepting conditions that aren’t suitable for them or their families. This situation cannot continue.
“Throughout this research we heard from families and young people in desperate need of support. We are particularly concerned to hear from care-experienced young people about being set up to fail. If we are truly to Keep the Promise, investment must urgently be made to support independent living.”
The report sets out a number of recommendations for both the Scottish Government and Local Authorities including carrying out a review of the standards of what is considered lawfully acceptable in terms of housing standards including numbers of bedrooms, accessibility, damp/mould, broken or missing essential household items.
The charity also called for a a guarantee of suitable housing and support for independent living for care experienced young people, as well as an expansion of social housing provision by building more homes and re-purposing houses currently vacant.
Martyn Walker, communications and public affairs manager for includem, added: “It has now been fifteen months since the Scottish Parliament declared a housing emergency in Scotland. An emergency we see the impact of every day across Scotland.
“We couldn’t have chosen a better time to publish this new Housing report with the appointment of a new Cabinet Secretary for Housing tasked with tackling the housing emergency and in the run up to the Scottish Parliament 2026 elections.
“The report sets out the support young people and families need to thrive in safe and secure homes that meet their needs. That is naturally what all of us want, a place to call home.
“We look forward to engaging with the new Cabinet Secretary, sharing the experiences of young people and families we work with, and to explore how the Scottish Government and Local Authorities can better support their needs.”
